Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Lifts Citywide Curfew

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake released a written statement Sunday afternoon ending the city’s 10 p.m. curfew after roughly a week of unrest following the death of Freddie Gray. Riots, looting, and at least one burned business were reported in the wake of Gray’s death following an incident with six Baltimore Police Department officers.

“Effective immediately, I have rescinded my order instituting a city-wide curfew,” Rawlings-Blake said in a statement. “My goal has always been to not have the curfew in place a single day longer than was necessary.”

The decision to keep the curfew was widely criticized after State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced all six officers involved in the incident with Gray would face various charges. During the city’s civil unrest, Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles played a regular season game against the Chicago White Sox in an empty Camden Yards amid fears of increased violence.

“My number one priority in instituting a curfew was to ensure the public peace, safety, health and welfare of Baltimore citizens,” Rawlings-Blake said. “It was not an easy decision, but one I felt was necessary to help our city restore calm.”

While five of the six officers charged after Gray’s death are now free on bond, area protests have generally turned peaceful. According to The Baltimore Sun, a spokesman for Gov. Larry Hogan said the Maryland National Guard will gradually withdraw from the area in the next few days.